Introduction to Making Your Own Home-Made Sausages by Gardenfarming Sue

This article is from Sue at Gardenfarming.org who has lived self-sufficiently for over 25 years. 
She is a former agricultural college tutor and full time farmer now delivering courses in sausage making and all aspects of self sufficient living from her smallholding home.

Making sausages at home is that is becoming more popular as people seek to improve the quality of the food they eat and save waste and money. Home-made sausages taste better, because they are made from better quality ingredients and to your taste. Sausage making is a fun hobby.

• Want to be sure exactly what you and your family are eating in a sausage and never get that horrid gristly bit again?
• Need to be sure that the meat within your sausage has come from an animal that has been kindly treated and ethically produced?
• Wish to be certain there are no unnatural or unnecessary additives in your sausage and that it is full of wholesome and fully flavoursome goodness?
• Striving to eat healthily and 'go green' by eating a lesser proportion of meat in your meals but without compromising any of the taste, texture or satisfaction?
• Have your own allotment, vegetable garden or growing space to produce your own vegetables, herbs and maybe even fruits and want to utilize the produce?

Then why not make your own fabulous sausages at home?

Home Made Sausages on a Plate

This introduction to home made sausages is in four main parts:

Home-Made Sausage Ingredients: Meat, Fat & Rusk (Fillers) which covers the three main and vital ingredients of any sausage.

Home-Made Sausage Ingredients: Liquids, Flavourings, Casings (skins) etc. which covers how much liquid is required for a good sausage, some flavouring ideas and finally the casings or skins that hold everything together.

Home-Made Sausages: Equipment, Processing & Cooking gives some general guidance on the equipment you will need. How to safely make your sausages and finally how to cook them properly for the best flavour.

Following this, we move onto Ethical Meat for Sausage Making. This explains the importance and benefits of using meat that has been ethically produced.

Finally, for those with some space and time, Raising Your Own Pigs introduces you to the idea of keeping your own pigs.